Pacers vs Heat Game 1 ECF

The Indiana Pacers supposed to be the serious team that could knock the Miami Heat out in the East; game one of the Eastern conference finals starts at 8:30 PM ET at American Airlines Arena.

The Heat have won eight of the last 9 playoffs games in the 2013 postseason, and Indiana had to battle a little more, but the stage is set for a fight. “They are the next team in our way”, said coach Fran Vogel on Saturday, and apparently Lebron didn’t feel respected.

“I don’t understand what he’s saying. But we’re not just another team. That’s not true. He said we’re just another team in their way. We’re a great team”, Lebron James responded.

“We’re very confident,” James added. “We’ll be ready for them. We don’t need bulletin-board material. We’ve heard everything; we’ve seen everything. But I would say we’re not just another team, though.”

“We’re ready for whatever,” James concluded. “I believe it’s going to be like last series (against the Bulls). They’re going to try to put me on the floor, maybe. Be physical with me, maybe. I don’t know. Every team kind of does the same thing. They kind of read what everyone else talks about [and say], ‘You have to beat up the Heat to beat them.’ We’ll see what happens.”

Lebron might be right; the Pacers fight like the Bulls do, but they are a little more talented, rebound better and don’t have most of their team injured or ill.

Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami; the Heat is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing against the Pacers.

Game one has the Heat as 7.5 favorites, and the game total has been set at 182.5.